Cigarette dispenser and lighter



Aug. 21, 1951 E, MORGAN 2,565,183

CIGARETTE DISPENSER AND LIGHTER Filed June 12, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l WWII]:

\ zzvmvrm EA R L. MORGAN Aug. 21, 1951 MORGAN CIGARETTE DISPENSER AND LIGHTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 12, 1946 EARL MORGAN INVENTOR.

Patented Aug. 21, 1951 v UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE 2,565,183 CIGARETTE DISPENSER AND LIGHTER Earl Morgan, Kansas City, Mo.

Application June 12, 1946, Serial No. 676,296

without detection by the audience.

A further object is the provision of means for preventing the cigarettes from jamming within their housing as they drop by gravity and are moved lengthwise progressively into contact with a lighting medium and subsequently dropped into a position to be ejected from the device.

Further object is the provision of means for further protecting the clothing of the user of the device from damage which mightbe caused by the lighting element or the lighted cigarette.

These and other objects will appear as my invention is more fully hereinafter described in the following specification, illustrated in the accompanyin drawings, and finally pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a front elevation of a cigarette lighter and dispensing device made in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a similar view with a portion in section as viewed along the line 33 of Figure 1 and showing the device in one stage of its operation.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the device in one stage of its operation.

Figure 5 is an edgewise view of Figure'l as viewed from the left hand side thereof.

Figure 6 is a rear elevation with the Wall portion 4A pressed inward.

Figure '7 is a detail view of a support for the lighting element illustrated in Figure 8.

Figure 9 is a detail view of a cigarette having one of its ends twisted into a point for contact with the lighting element to insure quick lighting.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings.

Reference numeral i indicates generally the main body of the invention in the form of an elongated flat casing, having a top wall 2, a front wall 3, a rear wall having a fixed portion 4 and a hinged portion 4A, and side walls 5 and 6. To the upper end of the rear wall, I attach, by soldering, welding, or the like, a clasp 6A, somewhat 1 Claim. (Cl. 206-413) similar to a safety pin, for attaching the device ports a wick I2, which, when once lighted at 1. upper end of the wick with a weight I4.

to the lining of an operators coat or other garment. The front wall 3 is formed with a sightopening 1 so that the diminishing number of 1 cigarettes 8 disposed within the casing, as shown, may be observed and also straightened or leveled oil? with respect to each other if necessary.

To the exterior of the wall 6 I removably attach a tubular member 9 by means of a pin I0 removable from a bracket H. The tube slidably supone of its ends will burn or Smolder continuously. To insure constant downward movement of the wick so that its lighted end l3 will remain in the position shown in Figure 1, I provide the The lowermost end of the tube 9 is provided with a frame [4A and a bendable finger [5 adapted to be adjusted into contact with wicks of various diameters. The frame MA urges the lighted end of the wick into contact with the reduced and twisted end I6 of the lowermost cigarette within the casing I under the influence of a leaf spring ll, attached as at IE3 at one of its ends to the tube 9. The opposite end of the spring bears against the interior of a guard 19 which is provided to protect the clothing of the operator against damage by burning.

The lower end of the front wall 3 is formed with projections 20 which are turned at right angles to themselves to form a fixed shelf 2|. The rear wall portion 4A is hinged as at 22 so that it may be swung outwardly or inwardly as shown in Figures 2 and 3 respectively for the purpose of allowing the cigarette to drop from the casing into a position to be lighted as shown in Figure 2 and then to be dropped on to the shelf 2| for final discharge by an auxiliary movable shelf 22A linked as at 223 to the movable rear wall portion 4A.

Cooperating with the spring I! is another spring 22C secured as at 23 to the side Wall 5 of the casing and is inwardly and downwardly turned at its lower end to form a pusher 24 for moving and holding the lowermost cigarette into contact with the lighted end l3 of the wick. This spring is movable outwardly with respect to the lower end of the casing as is also the lower end of the tube 9 by means of cranks 25 and 25A rotatably mounted in bearings 26 and 26A secured to the side walls 5 and 6, respectively. The springs I! and 220 are caused to bend laterally from the casing by the action of cranks 25 and 25A, The upper portions of cranks 25 and 25A press laterally against these spring memsesame bers I1 and 22C simultaneously with and to the same extent as the movement caused by the pressure of plate 4A on the lowermost portions of cranks 25 and 25A in an inward direction in its path toward the rear wall 4. When the plate 4A moves to extended position away from the wall 4 springs H and 22C press against and urge the cigarette and lighted wick toward each ,other thereby lighting the cigarette on shelf 22A and simultaneously depositing another one of the previously lit cigarettes in the hands of the operator from shelf 2 l. When the plate 4A is moved inwardly toward the wall 4 causing the lateral movement of the uppermost portions of the cranks 25 and 25A as explained above, the pressure on the cigarette and wick is released and simultaneously the lighted cigarette is dropped onto the shelf 2|. Interposed between the swingable portion of the rear wall 4 and the non-movable marginal portion thereof, is a leaf spring 21 adapted to normally maintain said movable portion of the wall in its outwardly swung position as shown in Figure 2. Normally when the device is suspended in a vertical position from a garment of the user the movable portion 4A of the back wall is held outwardly as shown in Figure 2 by the spring 21 which allows the lowermost cigarette to rest upon the auxiliary shelf 22A which by means of its connection 22B with said wall portion 4A is held in the position shown in Figure 2. Then when the operator presses the movable wall portion 4A toward the front wall 3 the platform 22A is moved out of the way to allow the now lighted cigarette to drop onto the platform 21 for removal by the platform 22A when the same is pulled outwardly as shown in Figure 4. In order to limit the outward swing of the movable portion of the rear wall 4 I provide a clip 28 attached at one of its ends to the wall-and extending outwardly to overlie the movable portion of the wall, as shown.

While I have shown a particular form of embodiment of my invention, I am aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest them-- selves to others skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Having thus described the invention: what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

I claim:

A device for dispensing lighted cigarettes, comprising a casing open at its lowermost end and adapted to receive a plurality of cigarettes stacked in horizontal position, the cigarettes being movable by gravity in the direction of the length of the casing, a shelf disposed below and in spaced relation to said open end of the casi and adapted to progressively receive the cigarettes individually from the casing, a lighting wick slidably mounted lengthwise of the casing, resilient means for maintaining the lowermost and lighted end of the wick in contact with the end of the lowermost cigarette in the casing for igniting the same, a second resilient means cooperating with said first mentioned resilient means for urging said lowermost cigarette into contact with the lighted end of said Wick, a plate hingedly attached to the rear wall of the casing adjacent its upper end and extending substantially to the bottom, means for normally maintaining said plate in an outwardly swung position with respect to said casing, means engaged with and actuated by movement of said plate toward said casing for releasing the pressure of said resilient means from the ends of the lighted cigarette, a second shelf movable across said first mentioned shelf and attached to and actuated by said hinged plate upon its movement toward said rear wall to drop said lighted cigarette onto said first shelf and upon movement of said plate away from said rear wall to underlie the succeeding cigarette in the stack in contact with said wick and simultaneously forcing the first mentioned cigarette off said first shelf and out of the casing.

EARL MORGAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,186,530 Dobrowsky June 6, 1916 1,554,259 Chiari Sept. 22, 1925 1,560,243 Kaczorowski Nov. 3, 1925 1,670,945 Ward May 22 1928 1,846,275 Palanjian Feb. 23, 1932 1,946,406 Lloyd Feb. 6, 1934 2,035,246 Rea Mar. 24, 1936 2,342,748 Mayer Feb. 29', 1944 

